


In the Silence

by kabbyqueen



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Angst, Canon Divergence - the 100, F/M, Family, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2019-07-28
Packaged: 2020-07-19 10:29:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19972573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kabbyqueen/pseuds/kabbyqueen
Summary: What if Marcus respected Abby's wishes in season 4 and let her be carried out of the bunker? But, in a turn of events, Abby had been the one to inject herself with nightblood, surviving for those 5 years on Earth instead of Clarke who made it to space with the others.Now, it's five years later...





	1. 5 Years Later

**Author's Note:**

> This story starts in canon, but won't follow all of the events of season 5. This story also assumes that Clarke made it to space with Raven, Bellamy, Echo, Monty, Harper, Murphy and Emori. The building also never collapsed on the bunker, so they aren't trapped. The first chapter is told from Abby's perspective to set up the story and following chapters will include more flashbacks into what happened during those five years as well as what will happen next for everyone.
> 
> This is my first multi-chapter fanfic. I hope you enjoy!

_“Day 365. It’s been one year._

_There isn’t a day I don’t regret leaving you. You are my partner here. You made the hard days easier. I miss your smile, the way you whispered my name, the way you…._

_But I am also relieved. Thank you for doing what I asked… because I could never live with myself knowing I took a spot from someone else, especially knowing what I know now._

_So much has changed since our last conversation. I had lost myself then, I was using pills to get me through the day, and I didn’t think I deserved to survive. Sometimes I still wonder that… but I also realized that survival isn’t just about deserving it. It’s about fighting for the people you love. It’s about learning… growing…. And making the best decision you can in the moment with the knowledge you have at the time. It’s not about giving up._

_And I gave up…I didn’t know how to fight the pain in my heart…not after everything I had done…_

_I am so sorry, Marcus. I’m sorry for the pain I caused you. I’m sorry that it took me this long to get here. I wish we had more time. I wish I told you there was hope for me… for us._

_T_ _here’s so much I have to tell you. So much to be happy about. I hate that we have to wait four more years. That you’ll continue to think I’m…._

_That you’ll think…_

_Well, you know._

_I’m sorry for that too._

_May we meet again.”_

Abby turns off the radio while she continues to stare at the door with tears in her eyes. They were so close. She knew he was only a few feet from her but there was no way of telling him that. No way of seeing him. Wrapping her arms around him. Hearing his voice.

She kneels down onto the floor and runs her fingertips over the door, longing for him to feel her presence. Hoping he somehow knows that she is here waiting for him. For all of them to join her again. She wants to knock but she holds herself back. It's not the right time.

She wipes a few tears that trickle down her cheeks while fighting the sobs that want to leave her body.

With a deep breath, she sits down on the floor with her hand on the door. She wonders what he's doing. Was he leading everyone? Were he and Jaha working together to make sure there was peace among all of the clans? Was he taking care of Jackson?

_Oh Jackson._

She never got the chance to say goodbye. But he knew…. He knew there could be a chance she was alive. Right? Did he tell Marcus? Will he give him hope?

Abby catches herself before she lets her mind wander. She knew Jackson was too rational to give anyone hope. He would, like everyone else, assume she was dead. She remembered her constant reminders to smile more, let go and feel, to hope… she prays he’s listening to her now. That he’s happy with Nate and they are building a life together. His happiness means the world to her.

Abby looks away from the circular door and towards the main door. The sun is about to set. It's time to leave and get back to her home. Reluctantly, she stands up and dusts the dirt from her clothes. She puts the radio back in her backpack and gathers her things.

With one final look, she walks out the door and towards the Jeep. She puts her stuff in the vehicle and once it's all secure, she relaxes in the driver’s seat while turning on the engine. She is still getting used to driving, but it's getting easier every time she does it. She looks next to her and then through the window, allowing a small smile to form.

She can do this. For the first time in her life, she vows to be patient.

*** _Year 2155*_**

Abby awakes from a deep sleep with an ache in her chest. She rubs the remnants of sleep from her eyes and looks around the room filled with plants she’s spent the last four years testing for new medicines. There are jars and containers scattered around the room filled with healing remedies for injuries, infections, viruses, and illnesses. She used this time to explore what Earth had to offer – at least the parts that weren’t destroyed in Praimfaya.

Today is five years since that day. This means that any day now that bunker door will open, and Raven will get the rest of her people back to Earth from space.

She will see Clarke again.

She will see Raven, Jackson, Murphy, Jaha, Bellamy, Octavia…

She will see _Marcus._

The thought of all the people she loved and missed every day takes her breath away. For so long she busied herself with a routine, of making plans to use this land for the next chapter of their lives. She drew plans of where they could build homes, schools, offices, a hospital… This is their time to rebuild. And soon, she wouldn’t be making these plans on her own. She would be able to brainstorm with Marcus, ask Clarke to recreate her horrible sketches into something real and work with Raven to build the infrastructure to support it. They would all have jobs and a role to play in building the larger community.

It's all within reach. She can feel the happiness overtake her whole body as she thinks about the future. Everything she’s worked on could finally come into fruition.

Abby never considered herself a visionary. She often spent her free time learning about the human body. Of new ways to save people and prevent them from getting sick. She could perform more than 50 different surgeries with one eye closed. She worked hard to make it that easy for her.

But she knew that being a doctor wasn’t useful when she didn’t have patients. So rather than letting the darkness of a tough year of survival weigh her down, she worked just as hard to think about the future. Her family’s future. The future of all humanity. This is what she needed to be to be hopeful again. To feel her humanity return after she let herself cross too many ethical lines in that lab. Never again would someone die as an experiment for survival. She would create a world where that could never happen again.

Abby places her feet on the floor and looks at the other side of the room with love in her eyes. It’s been too long since she’s let herself feel completely happy and soon this home would be filled with even more joy when the people she cared for would join her. She walks through the main living area and towards the front door, opening it to breathe in the fresh air. She can feel the air changing. It was subtle but it's easier to take a deep breath. It feels lighter on the skin. The radiation levels have dropped – she can feel it.

She walks down the steps towards her medical shed. She brought the beds over from Arkadia and all of her equipment that wasn’t burned in the fire. She also found a few new machines to add from Polis as she looked in all of the buildings that were still standing, taking everything that she could. It was a start. They could build from this.

Abby then walks towards the Jeep, making sure she has everything ready. She packed the backseat with some of the medicines she created just in case they're needed. She also had blankets, bottles of water and some food she gathered in case they were hungry. She had a feeling the door would open today, and when it did, she’d be there to greet everyone.

As she revs the engine, she can feel the nerves start to invade her body. Five years was a long time. How would they look at her? Will they be okay after so much time without sunshine and natural air? Would they be mad at her for not telling them there was hope? Would Marcus… still love her as much as she loved him?

For the five-hour drive, Abby’s mind couldn’t stop thinking about what would happen next. The nerves increase in intensity every mile closer she got to the bunker.

Abby pulls up about 500 metres from the bunker door, keeping her Jeep hidden just to be safe. She looks inside and gives it one last look before walking out and towards the door. That circular door that separated her from so many people she cared about.

As she walks closer, she hears voices. Her heartbeat begins to speed up as she knows this means that the door is finally open. They were all coming back to her. As she got closer, she tries to stay out of view, hoping she won't startle anyone.

A few moments later, she sees him from the distance. Marcus…

His hair is longer, whiter. His beard unkept. And his body is broader… he looks good. _Very good._

Abby takes a few steps towards him, ready to give him the shock of his life. Ready to tell him that she survived and is starting to build a life for them. That she has so much to tell him and share with him. But before she can get closer, she sees a small blond woman come up behind him and wrap her arms around his stomach, smiling. He looks down at her hands and grasps onto them tighter with a grin.

Abby’s heart stops for a moment. She's lost her ability to walk. He moved on. How could she, in every scenario she played in her mind, not think that he would meet someone new in these five years. That he’d fall in love again. She’d been an idiot…

“Abby?”

She turns to the voice behind her with tears in her eyes, “Jackson!” She runs into his welcoming arms and pulls him into the tightest hug possible. “It’s really you… I can’t believe it’s really you”, she cries out while sobbing into his neck.

“You survived,” he said in disbelief. “You’re alive… I thought…”

“I know,” she whispers in her most comforting tone. “The nightblood worked.” Tears are still in her eyes as she pushes her body away from his and looks into his eyes. He is a bit older, but he is still her Jackson.

“I am so happy to see you…” he whispers. “These past few years were…” he pauses for a moment to think about what the right word is until finally settling on “challenging.”

It was then that Abby notices the sadness in his eyes. “Oh Jackson,” she comforts. “It’s okay now. It’s going to be okay. I have so much to show you. I have so many new medicines I have created with the plants… so much work I hope you’ll help me with.”

“Of course,” he responds. “I look forward to it… and it feels good to say that.”

She continues to tell him more about what she’s been trying to accomplish over the last five years until she’s interrupted by another voice.

“Abby?”

She stops. She can feel her whole body freeze when she hears his voice. The voice she’s been yearning to hear for five long years.

“Marcus…” she responds as she turns towards him. Her tone unsure.

Without another word, he pulls her into his arms and hugs her; his hands touching her arms, moving up to her shoulders and finally landing on her face. “I thought you were….”

| know,” she whispers with so much emotion. Swallowing her tears, she repeats, “I know.”

“How? Where-“ he begins but she stops him.

“I was injected with nightblood in Becca’s lab when we were looking for a cure. Clarke destroyed the radiation chamber before we could test it, so we didn’t know if it could work…” she explains while looking away from him, unable to meet his eyes.

“I thought I lost you...” he begins until he’s interrupted.

“Kane!’ the blonde woman Abby saw him with before shouts. When he hears her voice, his arms drop from her and he takes a large step back. “Hey honey, who’s this?” she asked while putting her arm around him.

Marcus responds by putting his arm around her, yet Abby can see the guilt in his eyes as he does so. “Kiara, this is Abby. She and I were on the ark together. Abby, this is Kiara, my…” he pauses for a moment, “girlfriend.”

Abby’s heart shatters in this moment. She knew this when she saw them together from afar, but the words hit even harder. And "on the ark together?" He couldn't even say she was his ex? What is happening?

Abby is about to protest, but she remembers how he looked happy and at peace with her a few minutes ago. She would never want to jeopardize that for him, so she puts on a fake smile and offers her hand to the younger girl, “Hi Kiara, it’s lovely to meet you,” she gets out while shaking her hand, surprising even herself.

“You too, Abby!” She smiles, shaking her hand in return and then snuggling into Marcus.

Abby starts to think about her parting words… she didn’t know how much longer she could be polite to them while she felt heart-wrenching pain coursing through her body. As she is about to form the words, she hears a familiar voice.

“Mom?”

She sees Kane look towards the voice with a confused expression.

Abby turns towards the voice and and responds, “I told you to stay in the Jeep, baby…”

“I know but I heard voices and thought…” the young girl starts.

Kane is frozen in his spot completely dumbfounded while he watches Abby walk towards the young girl. She looks no older than four or five years old. He watches closely while Abby takes the child in her arms and lifts her up on her hip.

“It’s okay, sweetie,” she tells her while rubbing her back and allowing the small child to hug her tightly. Abby then takes a deep breath and places Lily on the ground next to her, taking her small hand into hers. She finally finds the words.

“Everyone, I’d like you to meet Lily… my daughter.”


	2. Lily

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank you all for the positive feedback on the first chapter. I am so overwhelmed by all of your interest!! I was not expecting that. And now the pressure is on to tell a good story lol! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave reviews and kudus. One thing I want to note is I likely won't write Madi into the story because I am not the biggest fan of her character and I don't want to write her poorly because of that.
> 
> This is my first multi chapter story and also my first Kabby fanfic, so I am still getting used to writing these characters. I hope I can do this story justice. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

“Everyone, I’d like you to meet Lily… my daughter.”

The group surrounding Abby looks shocked and unable to process the introduction of the young blue-eyed girl with long chestnut-brown curls except Kiara who appears confused by the reactions.

After what feels like an eternity for Abby, Marcus is the first to respond to the news by stepping forward and kneeling in front of Lily. She looks at him shyly and then turns her face into Abby’s hip. She laughs softly, “She’s not used to seeing anyone but me,” she tells him. “It’s okay, babe. This is Marcus. I told you about him.”

He looks up at Abby grinning and then back to Lily. “I’m Marcus Kane. It’s an honour to meet you, Lily,” he smiles.

She slowly moves her head away from Abby and looks at Marcus with a shy smile on her face, “Hi”, she whispers and then snuggles back into Abby’s hip.

Marcus laughs as he stands up, “I guess that’s the best I’ll get,” he says and then looks to Abby, “She’s beautiful”

“She is…” Abby starts unsure of how to respond. _Does he think…?_ Abby prepares to jump into the story until she hears someone yell “we need a doctor!” in the distance.

“I guess that’s for us” Abby says while looking at Jackson. She then looks down at the young girl snuggled into her and then to Marcus and Kiara, “Could you both watch her for a moment? I don’t want her to see…” she starts.

“Of course,” Marcus responds almost too enthusiastically and then looks to Lily, “Hey Lily, how about we take a walk? You can tell me all about your mom.”

“That sounds amazing, doesn’t it, Lily?” Abby blushes as she says that. Time may not have been kind to her and Marcus, and she knows everything has changed. But that connection she felt with him, the trust they built during their first few months on the ground hasn’t disappeared. She still feels completely comfortable in his presence and trusts him more than anyone except Clarke. Abby knows they still have so much to talk about and work through but looking into his eyes again shows her that they could at least be partners and friends again. It was still there between them. She would always hope for more but then she turns towards Kiara who is looking at Marcus with adoration in her eyes. There are now a few new complications…

Lily hesitantly leaves Abby’s side and goes over to Marcus. He takes her hand to comfort her but also feels unsure of what to do next. He was never one to spend time with children, but she is a part of Abby. And that made him already feel so much love for her. He was especially curious about her story. Was there a chance she could be…?

“Thank you,” she mouths to him while she and Jackson run to the person calling for help.

Marcus walks with Lily in the opposite direction, forgetting Kiara was with them for a moment until she runs to his side. His attention is only on the little girl holding his hand, “So Lily, tell me about you and your mom.”

****Year 2150****

Abby’s eyes open to complete darkness and silence. She listens carefully to hear a sign of life only to realize there was nothing. No voices in the distance, no wind rustling through the trees, no sign of life. Slowly, she sits up wondering where she is – _is this death?_ That didn’t make any sense, did it? She feels the ground below her and picks up a fistful of dirt before quickly dropping it. She feels more of the space surrounding her until her hands touch an arm and quickly, she gasps. _Was she…?_

Abby grabs the arm next to her and feels for a pulse – _dead._ The body, however, was still warm, meaning he hasn’t been dead for longer than a few minutes.

It’s then that she realizes she’s alive. She survived… the nightblood worked. And she is completely alone.

Shit.

Abby looks around for anything to act as a light – a torch, a flashlight… something so she could see where she was. She feels around her, touching a few more dead bodies without any luck at first until she feels the chest of a man. As she runs her hand over his chest, she feels the typical Ark guard jacket. She knew from Marcus that in the top left pocket, there was usually a flashlight… _bingo!_ She turns the light on and looks at the person she took this from – David Miller.

She looks away from him for a moment, letting the tears stream down her cheeks. She knew of his sacrifice. It was that moment she realized that, as a mother, she too couldn’t take the space of someone younger and more deserving. But seeing his lifeless body next to her leaves her with a sinking feeling. It wasn’t fair that anyone had to die. She wishes they could have done more to build many shelters for everyone on the ground. Why did it have to be the one bunker? Did they waste their time on potential cures rather than building shelters? Should they not have told everyone to give them a chance rather than fighting over the only space available in the final hours? Did they get this completely wrong? It felt like the Ark all over again. Thousands of people died today so a select few could survive, and it was their fault. It was _her_ fault.

And she should have been among them. She deserved that after everything that happened. She shouldn’t be getting this second chance. But she wondered if this really was another chance for her.

Because how was she going to do this? Should she knock on the door? No. There was no room for her.

Should she try and find a new home? She wasn’t Clarke – she didn’t have the survival instincts her daughter did. She wasn’t Marcus who always seemed to know what the next move should be. Hell, she wasn’t even Murphy who was the most resilient kid she’s ever met. He could survive anything.

She was Abby. She was a doctor. She took care of people, she fought for others, she made sure people had a fair shot at life. And now, she was alone and had to fight for herself.

Could she do that?

Abby used the flashlight to navigate through the bodies to see if there was a way out of here. Where to she didn’t know. Perhaps she should return to Arkadia? She knew most of it was burnt down but it would provide some shelter until she figured out her next move. And luckily, she had the path memorized.

As she walks in the direction of the location she called home for the last year with a sense of purpose, she trips. “Oh, for fucks sake,” she cries out while falling onto a body. After a long sigh of frustration, Abby feels the stomach of the person she fell into. It was round and hard. She lifts the shirt of the woman under her and places her palm on her stomach.

Movement? Was she imagining it? There was no way the baby could still be alive, right? And why wasn’t she in the bunker?! Abby looks at her clothing not recognizing which clan she was part of but also knows now isn’t the time waste another minute with anger, so she touches the woman again feeling that she too was still warm. She had only been dead for a few minutes. Was there a chance the baby could still be alive?

Abby had nothing to lose by trying. She feels the woman’s stomach again realizing she was very close to giving birth and the baby is likely fully developed. As she keeps her hand there a few seconds longer, she thinks she may have felt movement again. Without thinking twice, Abby looks for something around her that she can cut this woman open with, finding a machete on one of the bodies next to her in Trikru warrior armour.

“I got you,’ she whispers and takes the sharpest part of the blade to the woman’s abdomen, performing a c-section. Would the baby survive the radiation? Could she be a nightblood too? Abby didn’t know, but she had to try. The odds may be against her right now, but they were also against her surviving today.

Abby makes an incision in the young mother's abdominal wall and uterus and quickly grabs the baby, cutting the umbilical cord and holding the infant in her arms.

At first, there is silence. She holds the child closer to her trying to find a pulse or a sign of breath. Anything. She notices that the baby’s skin isn’t reacting too harshly to the radiation, so she puts the child on the ground and performs CPR, hoping to get oxygen to her small lungs.

After a few minutes of gentle chest compressions and soft breaths over the baby’s mouth and nose, Abby starts to lose hope. She must have been too late she sighs as she starts to take her hand off the baby’s chest while tears begin to sting her eyes.

And then…

She hears a sharp cry come from the infant on the ground.

Abby sighs in relief and then quickly pricks the baby gently to confirm that the child is, in fact, a nightblood. Another sigh of relief. She was surrounded by death. Thousands of bodies on the ground as far as she could see. And here she was, holding new life. Embracing her new beginning. A real miracle.

She finally takes a good look at the baby from head to toe. A girl. _Her_ girl.

Abby looks around her to find a jacket or sweater to wrap the baby in. She takes the shirt off of the mother and wraps the child in it and takes a few other jackets.

“Hi baby girl,” she soothes while cradling her close, “it’s you and me now.”

The baby cries even more when she hears Abby’s voice. It’s foreign to her. Abby is a stranger to her – her voice is different, her smell, and her warmth. Holding back tears, Abby cradles the baby closer and kisses the top of her head, “It’s going to be okay. I am here. I’ll always be here for you.”

A few moments later, the baby stops crying and falls asleep in Abby’s arms. Her heart swells already feeling so much love for the infant.

Abby then stands up with the baby and walks back towards the bunker - their best chance at survival. When she arrives at the circular door, she puts a jacket on the ground before placing the baby on it. She then spends the next few minutes knocking on the door as hard as she can, hoping someone would hear her. After about fifteen minutes of knocking and waiting, she realizes that no one can hear it, and if they can, they’re choosing not to answer. They’re at full capacity.

Feeling somewhat defeated for a moment, Abby picks up the infant while trying to hold back a sob. It was official: they truly were on their own.

She looks at her baby girl and kisses her head. She will fight to survive for the next five years for her and do everything she can to build a better life for them. Better than the life they had on the Ark and ground.

That was her promise. This was how she’d get her humanity back.

**** Year 2155: Present Day ****

**“** Mama saved my life,” the young girl tells Marcus.

Marcus is holding back tears after hearing the young girl tell him how Abby saved her life. He finds it challenging to hold in all of the emotions that her story triggers in him, especially knowing Abby knocked on the door. He looks over at Kiara who is also affected by Lily’s retelling of Abby rescuing her.

It was overwhelming to think that in a moment of complete loss and destruction, Abby found hope. She found love. She found a reason to live. Ever since she was carried out of the bunker, he had wished he was that light for her. That their love would have been strong enough for her to want to fight for another day. To remain by his side. Had that happened, however, Lily would never have had a chance and Abby’s spirit would have likely been further destroyed by the harshness of the bunker. As much as it pains him to admit it, this was the best-case scenario for Abby. And for now, he would be happy about that.

His eyes move back to Lily who’s now playing with the bottom of his shirt. He guessed that Abby often told Lily this story given how effortlessly the young girl told it. She even looked happy telling it. The last five years have been kind to her and Abby. Knowing that leaves him feeling more hopeful than he’s felt in years.

“She did…” he finally whispers as he finds it too hard to find an eloquent way to respond to the young girl. “She’s amazing…” he continues without realizing the words left his mouth.

“She’s my hero,” Lily tells him. “You are too. She told me about you every day.”

“She did?” Marcus asks surprised by how blunt she is for a moment but then remembers the woman who raised her with a small smile. The young girl nods to confirm.

“Yes, she said that you are one of the best people she knows and that you fought for peace when she came to Earth from the sky. But she never talked about you,” the young girl looks to Kiara. Her tone is not harsh or meant to hurt the woman. She's simply being truthful.

It doesn’t stop Kiara’s eyes from widening and looking to Marcus in surprise. He smiles at her comfortingly and then turns to Lily, “that’s because your mom doesn’t know her.” _Yet?_ Marcus doesn’t feel comfortable adding the word. He feels so conflicted in this moment, but he can’t let it show. There was so much that needed to be talked about. Too many emotions to unpack. Happiness. Relief. Anxiety. Sadness. Fear. All felt like they were swirling in his stomach.

Before the conversation could get anymore awkward, Abby and Jackson reappear. Both are out of breath and tired after the work they did to save the man’s life.

“It’s been so long since…” Abby starts to say until Jackson interrupts her.

“And it was like no time has passed. You were brilliant,” Jackson tells her impressed by the moment they just shared.

“Thank you,” she responds. She’s touched by his praise and it hits her again just how much she missed having him by her side. She grabs his hand and squeezes it in gratitude. She was so thankful they were reunited.

“Good work,” Marcus chimes in as Lily runs from his side to her mother.

“Yeah, you were pretty badass,” Kiara adds in awe of the woman in front of her.

“Thank you,” she smiles at both of them while taking her daughter’s hand. “And thank you so much for watching her. I really appreciate it,”

“It was our pleasure,” He tells her, “She’s pretty great.” _Just like her mother…_ he wants to add but instead looks into her eyes to convey that message. They always had a way of knowing what the other was thinking in any given moment. Even on the Ark when they were often at odds, they were able to communicate their disdain with just one look which had carried over when they began working together and then when they eventually fell in love.

She blushes slightly and then turns to Lily, “I guess we should get going. It’s been an exciting but long day.”

“Where are you going?” he asked startled by her announcement.

“Home,” she smiles. “But we’ll be back tomorrow. I just need some time to…”

“Right.” He says yet his tone is unsure. The thought of her walking away again even if it’s only for a night left him feeling anxious.

Abby stares into his eyes for a few more moments conflicted about leaving him. She wants to ask him to join her, but something is holding her back. She doesn’t feel ready to share their life with him until they talk. _Really talk._

Marcus looks at everyone around him and does something that shocks all of them: he takes Abby into his arms pulling her into a deep hug, holding her as close as he can. The hug he denied them when they first saw each other. He still can’t believe that the woman he spent five years grieving was in front of him. That she was real. That his arms were around her. It was all he wished for every day for the last five years.

Everything around them melted away as his arms wrapped around her small frame. When she rested her head on his neck, he could feel her tears on his skin, amplifying all of the emotions he was currently feeling.

“I missed you so much,” he whispers just for her to hear.

Abby’s barely able to hold herself together in this moment after five years of dreaming about this. “I missed you too. Every day,” she reassures him with a soft whisper while holding him tighter and fighting the desire to kiss him with everything she had.

Abby is the first to let go, remembering that they have an audience. She keeps her eyes on him for a moment and then looks at Kiara behind her who appears to be a combination of confused and hurt. She remembers the reality of their situation and nods at him and then smiles at Kiara genuinely (well, as genuinely as she can), moving away from them with Lily and Jackson behind her.

This was going to get even more complicated, wasn’t it? She wonders as they begin to walk away.

“Kane?” she hears Kiara question from the distance, “We don’t have much time…” Abby hears her say as she tries to listen carefully to his response while they walk farther away.

Instead, he yells Abby’s name, getting her attention once again before she’s out of his view.

“Abby! Stop,” he commands while gesturing at Kiara to follow him. He pauses for a moment looking to the ground and then back towards the bunker. “I can’t let you go on your own,” he admits, struggling to get the words out, knowing that what he says next will disturb the peace Abby and Lily have felt for the past five years, “It’s not safe.”

Abby looks at him and, for the first time, sees the pain in his eyes. She sees how worn down he looks. He almost looks… defeated. And now there is fear in his body language that wasn’t there before. She watches him share a look with Kiara who has the same look of fear on her face.

“Ok then,” Abby agrees easily sensing there is more to their story than she thought and knowing with one look, he needed her. In what way, she didn’t yet know but she knew she had no choice but to be there for him no matter how hesitant her heart was, “I guess you’re both coming back with us.”

She gestures to Jackson to keep going forward and grabs Lily’s hand while Marcus and Kiara follow them. She isn’t sure how to feel about this but now knows that there’s a lot more to talk about than she anticipated.

Abby looks back and sees Kiara grab Marcus’ hand for comfort while his eyes are on Abby. She meets his gaze with a half-smile and then turns back around.

See? Complicated. She thought as she led them all to the Jeep, suddenly feeling like the new beginning she dreamed of for five years may no longer be within reach. 


End file.
